Cowboys to count on Jones as offensive threat

TONY GUTIERREZ : ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOTS OF CARRIES: The Dallas Cowboys will rely on running back Felix Jones as more than a third-down back because of the season-ending injury to DeMarco Murray.

TONY GUTIERREZ : ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOTS OF CARRIES: The Dallas...

Felix Jones put his ego aside the month he was sidelined with an ankle injury and closely watched the kid who took his job.

"He gets downhill and gains yards with every step," the Dallas Cowboys running back said of rookie DeMarco Murray. "He's a tough runner … It showed me maybe I need to run a little tougher. I learned a lot from that guy."

It showed against the New York Giants. Regaining the role of lead runner after Murray suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in the first quarter of the 37-34 loss, Jones rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries.

Now Jones must prove he can put together consecutive workhorse outings. Despite his strong showing against the Giants, Jones has a question mark attached to his name because he's never had back-to-back games of 15-plus carries in his four NFL seasons.

"If you look back on his situation starting probably at the middle of last year, he started to carry the load a little bit more and he did that the early part of this year as well," Garrett said Wednesday in Irving. "We've tried to inch (up Jones' carries) … He's always been a complementary back … but he proved to us the other night he can carry the ball more, that we can throw it to him more."

Not much depth

In addition to notching the third 100-yard regular-season rushing performance off his career, Jones also caught six passes for 31 yards against New York.

"He went into that game thinking he was going to be a third-down guy and would spot on first and second, and he carried the load and did a really nice job for us," Garrett said. "We have a lot of confidence in him."

Still, Garrett suggested he'll be careful with Jones' touches. He has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and there's not much depth at the position even after the Cowboys signed 34-year-old Sammy Morris.